Saturday Rush
by OhTex
Summary: Percival Graves often finds himself bored and lonely at the weekends. Luckily for him, his colleague Trixie Barnes is stuck in a minor international incident in a department store. Graves/OC


_Here we go again! There's actually some action in this one because I kept reminding myself that this is set in a magical world and maybe it shouldn't be just an office romance._

 _(...it is though.)_

* * *

"What about this?"

Trixie held up a blue chiffon dress with a hopeful smile. Her younger sister Gloria wrinkled her nose as she poked at a beaded skirt.

"It's all too... _showy_."

She sighed and placed the dress back on the rail, only for it to be quickly snatched up by the middle aged woman in an expensive fur coat who had been waiting impatiently behind her. Gloria snorted with laughter at Trixie's surprised expression and the two moved away, giggling as quietly as they could.

"She looked murderous!" Trixie said as they retreated to the safety of the next aisle.

"Now you can see why I wanted you to come with me." Gloria said, trailing behind her sister. "Shopping is real scary."

Trixie smiled. Her younger sister tended to eschew fashionable clothing, preferring comfort and practicality. But after being given her start date for her new job at the _New York Ghost_ , Gloria had suddenly decided that she needed to take more care of her appearance. A decision she wanted to keep their mother and other sisters out of. They often rather strong opinions on clothing choices.

So Trixie found herself at No-Maj filled department store on a cold Saturday afternoon - half enjoying herself, half wishing she was at home with a book.

"I still don't know why we had to come to a No-Maj store." Gloria grumbled.

"You know mom goes shopping every Saturday. We had to come somewhere she wouldn't see us. Now, what sort of thing do you want?"

Gloria glared at a floral dress with distaste. "I want to look stylish but not covered in damn ruffles."

Trixie grinned. "Chic without the frills. Got it."

* * *

There was no need for Graves to be at MACUSA on a Saturday afternoon but in all honesty, he couldn't think of anything better to do.

Besides, he found it amusing to see the panicked faces of his staff when he strode through the door unexpectedly. Since the chaos Grindelwald inflicted on the city two months ago, incidents had thankfully been few and far between but there were still rumours of supporters lingering in New York's long shadows, waiting for their chance.

He wandered down the corridor from his office without a destination. He passed Major Investigations, lost in his thoughts. He felt restless and bored yet unwilling to do anything to rid himself of the sensation. He considered what to do with the rest of his weekend. He was overdue a visit to his parents; he had promised more regular visits since Grindelwald. But he couldn't face it, not without his brother.

If his brother was visiting New York, they could have gone for a meal, maybe gone on to a bar. He could have talked to somebody about something other than work.

He had come to a stop just inside the doorway of the Criminal Activity Research Department and was immediately met with Trixie Barnes' empty desk. He stood for a moment and silently fought with the irrational urge to go over and study her work space.

Deciding to indulge himself for once, he wandered over as casually as he could, despite the office being deserted. A small smile came to his face when he saw the organised mess she had left behind. There was a shawl draped on the back of her chair; a notebook liberally decorated with bright drawings of plants that kept growing, blooming, wilting and then growing again; a colourful plum quill still resting in an ink pot; a tube of something cosmetic and a few copies of _The New York Ghost_ in a haphazard pile.

Eying her vacant seat, another wave of restlessness washed over him, leaving him sighing into the empty office.

 _It's hard_ _to cure loneliness when you don't like people,_ he thought irritably. He pointedly ignored a voice in his head that reminded him that he had grown to like _some_ people.

He idly flicked through the copies of the _Ghost_ , hoping to distract himself from his odd mood. But second on the pile was an edition dated nearly a month ago. Unlike the others, it was already open to the puzzles page. He pulled it out of the pile and skimmed over the page it was open to. Something about it seemed familiar...

Then he saw his own handwriting in the margin next to the rune riddle. A jolt of pleasant and totally unexpected hope shot through him.

 _Had she kept it purposefully?_ He straightened himself. _Obviously not._ But he leafed through the other editions anyway and found that they were all dated that week. His was the odd one out. _Why would -_

"Sir!" Tina Goldstein poked her head into the room, breathing heavily.

Graves almost groaned. "Do you ever go home, Tina? You don't even have a shift today." _Hypocrite_.

"I know, sir. Sorry, sir. But we're getting news of a disturbance."

The threat of an incident was probably the only thing that could drag him away from Trixie Barnes' desk. "What is it?"

"We're not sure yet - something's just starting on the map. But Sam and Urvi have tip-offs from their informants; seems they're targeting a No-Maj store."

* * *

"I'm not coming out."

Trixie whined. "Gloria! Just show me! It's probably not as bad as you think."

There was some fumbling with the brocade curtain and Gloria appeared, her bottom lip sticking out as she sulked. She swirled the purple skirt around her legs with annoyance. Trixie smiled encouragingly at her younger sister.

"It looks nice."

Gloria gave her a stern look. "No, it doesn't."

"It does, honestly. You just don't like it. I said you should try the pants instead."

She snorted. "I've already got pants."

"Yes, but these are _nice_ pants."

Gloria picked up the wide leg trousers from the fitting room rail and eyed them. "They are kinda nice."

Trixie felt there was finally a glimmer of hope. "Exactly! Look, why don't you try them and I'll find some blouses to go with them?"

The promise of practical but smart clothing seemed to perk Gloria up a little. "And a dress." She said unexpectedly. When noticing her sister's expression, she added, "I'd like to have _one._ "

She disappeared behind the curtain again and Trixie made her way back to the store, happy with a clearer mission. Blouses and a dress - a manageable task. Humming to herself, she stalked the aisles for suitable options. _White or black? Or maybe try something more daring -_

She jumped. Around her, the No-Majs continued their shopping but she could hear something they couldn't. A strange crackle itched her brain, hot and bright. It sounded...magical. She wheeled around but couldn't identify the source. It was on this floor, she was certain. But where -

Then as suddenly as it had come, it disappeared.

She blinked. The bustle of the store came back to her as she shook herself. _Perhaps it was just her imagination_. She had been working long hours at MACUSA that week and she was probably just over tired.

She continued her browsing, picking up several blouses for Gloria and two dresses - one that she liked so much she picked one up for herself to try on too. But as she made her choices, she felt as though she was being watched. Looking around her, she saw nothing but No-Majs. She threw the clothes over one arm and hurried back to the fitting room, eager to return to her sister's company.

As she passed in the clothes to Gloria, she whispered,

"You weren't doing magic just now, were you?"

Gloria stuck her head around the curtain. "No, why?"

"I just though I heard - oh, it doesn't matter." Trixie placated her with a smile. "I was probably just hearing things. Come on, let's try these on."

* * *

Graves knew it wasn't going to be easy when they entered the store and he could barely move for No-Majs.

He tried to lead his small team of aurors through the crowd but got waylaid by an elderly couple who kept demanding to know where he had bought his scarf. Apparently, they were looking for one just like it but, tragically, were yet to find one. In the end, he caused them great offence by pushing past them.

"No sign of anything usual yet, sir." Tina said, catching him up as they ascended the stairs to the second floor.

His keen eyes scoured the area. "Spread out, take a section each and search thoroughly. Once you're satisfied your area is clear, meet back here by the stairs and we'll continue on to the next floor." He scanned the crowd again. "Due to the high number of No-Majs, I'm advising no magic until absolutely necessary. There might come a time when we have to lure them out into the open - "

Then the floor started shaking and the whole floor began to fill with thick, purple smoke. At last, among the shouts of No-Majs and the bluster of his colleagues, he felt his boredom finally abate.

He reached inside his coat with a steady hand. "Scratch that. Wands out."

* * *

"What's going on?" Gloria spluttered, trying to waft the purple smog away.

"I'm not sure," Trixie said, taking her sister's hand so she didn't lose her. "But I think we should see if we can do anything. This is obviously magic so we need to try and keep the No-Majs calm until MACUSA get here."

Trixie hoped talking confidently would help to not betray how unnerved she felt. She cursed herself for ignoring the strange sound earlier. With Grindelwald being in the city only a few months ago, she really should have reported it. And now it was too late and they were both stuck with no idea how long it would take MACUSA to get there.

They exited the fitting rooms and were greeted with a crowd of panicked No-Majs.

"The doors are locked!"

"We're shut in!"

"I can't see anything through this fog!"

She briefly weighed up her options. There were strict rules against using magic in front of No-Majs, meaning she didn't want to start casting spells to try and dispel the smoke. But surely they were going to have to be _obliviated_ after anyway...?

Still, there was no harm in being subtle. She slid her wand from the sleeve of her dress and muttered, " _Fumos exumai._ "

The smoke cleared a little, enough for everyone to be able to see. But it lingered in the air, heavy and ominous. It was obviously stronger than a simple spell.

Gloria was looking at her with wide eyes - half excited, half scared. "What do we do now?"

"There's nothing we can do. We just have to wait for MACUSA." Trixie swallowed. "But it's likely whoever did this is still here. And I doubt they've finished."

"We should smash the window!" One of the No-Majs shouted and was met with murmurs of agreement. Knowing it would be even more dangerous to let them outside, Trixie decided that she had to take charge.

"I'm sure that's not necessary!" She shouted to the group, holding her hands up in an effort to make herself appear more important. "Everything is under control, we just need to wait for the authorities. If we stay calm and quiet, I'm such there'll be no trouble."

There was more muttering but no one made a lunge for the window. She breathed a sigh of relief and desperately hoped that MACUSA wouldn't be long. She was decent with a wand but she was no auror and if there was some mad witch or wizard loose in the store, she didn't rate her chances very high. _If only Mr Graves was here,_ she thought. _He would know what to do_.

"Are you in charge of crowd control, Miss Barnes?"

She turned to see the man himself wandering towards her, a calm presence in the panic around her. She felt her mood change instantly.

"Mr Graves! You know, I don't think I've ever been so glad to see anyone in all of my life!"

She thought perhaps she had been too gushing because he appeared a little awkward at that. But he gave her a small smile all the same. "Glad I could be of service to you."

Someone cleared their throat next to her. "Oh! This is my sister, Gloria. Gloria, this is Percival Graves, the Director Magical Security."

His title didn't seem to impress her as she eyed him suspiciously before saying, "Hello."

He nodded but said nothing more; Gloria's stare was obviously enough to keep him quiet. Trixie subtly elbowed her sister before asking,

"Do you know what's going on here?"

"The team are still checking the perimeter, I'm sure we'll have the culprit soon." His eyes met hers and she felt herself blushing under his intense stare. "Did you see anything?"

"No, Gloria and I were in the fitting rooms and then all of a sudden we couldn't see anything."

He thanked her and went to turn away but she felt compelled to stop him, grabbing his elbow. "Actually, there was something else."

"Go on."

Trixie knew there was a good chance she was going to sound crazy, but if anyone would listen to her, it was him. "I heard something before it happened. It was like a...crackling noise. It sounded magical." She sighed, crossing her arms. "I know it probably sounds stupid - "

"No." He said, looking very interested. "When was this?"

"About ten minutes before the smoke."

He nodded, now apparently lost in thought. "Good, good. Thank you, Miss Barnes." He looked around and spotted Tina Goldstein. He beckoned her over. "I think we're dealing with a potion, not a spell."

"Really, sir?"

"Yes. A potent smokescreen potion in flask that was smashed. It would explain the sounds Miss Barnes heard and why we can't get rid of this smoke with a spell. Tina, get word to the others. I'm going to search the floor myself." Tina hurried off and he turned back to Trixie. "Can you keep an eye on these?" He waved a hand at the crowd of No-Maj.

She straightened up. "Of course."

"Thank you."

She watched him stride away, a niggling feeling of worry in her stomach. _Should he really be going alone?_

Gloria reappeared at her side. "You've stopped flirting now?"

Trixie blinked. "What?"

She was grinning. "You and him! ' _Oooh, Mr Graves, I'm so glad to see you! Oooh, can I touch your arm?_ '" Then she put on a ridiculously deep voice. " _'I'm sure I'll catch the bad guy soon because I'm all manly and impressive! Miss Barnes, you've been so helpful. You're the only one who understands me - '_ Ow!"

Trixie swatted her arm, her face burning. "Will you stop?"

She sighed. "Fine." They watched the aurors stalk the area, wands out and bodies tense. Trixie glanced around to make sure the No-Majs were all still there. Like them, most were watching now, too enthralled to attempt escape. She fidgeted anxiously. Mr Graves still hadn't reappeared.

And what had Gloria been on about? They definitely hadn't been flirting. This was work, this was important. She pushed the thought out of her mind. _It was just Gloria being Gloria._

There was a sudden burst of red and they both jumped, the No Majs behind them shouting in alarm. Trixie's heart was in her throat. Mr Graves was obviously duelling the wizard a short distance away. She didn't doubt his abilities for a moment, but he hadn't long recovered from his ordeal with Grindelwald and she worried that he was trying to take on more than he could deal with.

The duel was evidently ferocious because spells started firing everywhere, hitting shelves, cases and railings with loud bangs. Then Gloria gasped and Trixie saw that one of the bursts was heading straight for them. She raised her wand.

" _Protego_!"

The magical shield raised just in time, deflecting the spell away from them and the No-Majs. But it left a dark scorch on the floor at their feet - a potent warning. Without saying a word, Trixie reached across and held her sister's hand. Then everything fell quiet and awful images of Mr Graves lying motionless on the ground filled her mind.

But then there he was, stalking along one of the aisles looking a tad dishevelled and rather impressive. He was dragging a man with wild eyes with him, his hands tightly bound with unbreakable magic. Relief washed over her like warm water.

Gloria squeezed her hand and said cheerily, as though they had been watching nothing more than a play, "At least you look nice in that dress."

Between narrowly avoiding the spell and her concern about Graves, it took her mind a moment. Then looked at her sister, confused. "What?"

"That dress you've got on." She nodded at the pretty floral dress Trixie had tried on and was now temporarily stuck in. "You should buy it when we're allowed to go."

She frowned, trying to catch up with Gloria's thought process. "What do you mean, _'at least I look nice'_? Why?"

She smirked. "You know, for Mr-I'm-So-Important! At least you're stuck in something you look good in."

Trixie huffed. "Don't be silly, it doesn't matter what I look like!"

Gloria rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. You've got a crush on him."

"I don't have a _crush_! I'm not a child!"

Gloria smirked. "Alright, alright! You just fancy him a bit."

Trixie huffed. "Mercy Lewis, will you let this go? I don't _fancy_ Mr Graves! I just...respect him."

"Sure. And mom and dad _respected_ each other so much they got married."

"Gloria!" Trixie swatted her arm again with a scowl.

"It's alright, you know? Just because you're with Bobby doesn't mean you can't think other guys are attractive."

Trixie fiddled with the sleeve of her dress, trying to ignore her sister. Her eyes flitted back to Graves, who was passing the wizard on to Law Enforcement for arrest.

"I mean," Gloria continued, "He is kinda handsome."

" _Kinda?!"_ Trixie spluttered in disbelief before she had the chance to stop herself. Gloria cackled in triumph. "I just mean that he's undeniably handsome! Just generally, you know?" But Gloria was still laughing and Trixie could feel her face getting warm again. "Whether he's handsome or not is irrelevant anyway. We work together and we respect each other as colleagues, nothing more."

"Oh, watch out!" Gloria said, still guffawing. "He's coming over so you can _respect_ him."

Trixie only just resisted the urge to kick her in the shin. Thankfully, she slunk off.

As he walked towards her, he noticed the scorch mark on the floor and to her surprise, he looked alarmed. He touched her arm gently and asked, "Miss Barnes, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Really." He had never touched her before and she didn't know what to do with herself. The warmth of his hand made her feel quite silly and lost.

He was studying her face intently. "You're sure?"

She nodded and smiled. "Very." She watched the wizard apparate away with Law Enforcement. "Who is he?"

"One of Grindelwald's supporters. Kept shouting about his rights as a wizard." He fell silent and then added quietly, "Doubt he's even met the man."

Trixie immediately felt guilty for not checking _he_ was alright. Unsure of what to do, she touched his hand on her arm. "You did a good job."

He frowned. "You nearly got hurt."

She smiled, touched by his concern. "I told you, I'm fine. So is everyone else."

His hand slipped from her arm, taking her hand with it. For a moment, they were just looking at each other, their fingers still half laced together. _She should let go. Any second now._

"That No-Maj is causing a fuss." Gloria had wandered back, startling them both. Trixie quickly pulled her hand away and crossed her arms. She glanced around to see an elderly man trying to hit an auror with his walking stick. Trixie giggled and Graves groaned.

"I'll sort this."

"And I had better get changed into clothes I actually own." She grabbed her sister's arm, not quite able to meet Graves' eyes. "Come on, Gloria."

* * *

It took nearly an hour for the Obliviators to arrive and get organised. Graves instructed his team to assist them, wanting to get the admin over with. He kept an eye on proceedings, making sure every No-Maj had their memories of the afternoon altered. One slip up could be just what Grindelwald needed.

"I told you, we're witches!"

 _He'd recognise that irritated tone anywhere._ Trixie Barnes was arguing with one of the guards on the door, her sister at her side. He smiled to himself and walked over to save the poor guard.

"I'm sorry, miss. I can't let anyone pass. Mr Graves' orders."

"They're fine, Gus."

She jumped but laughed when saw it was him. "Oh, hello again. Can we leave? Our parents are probably frantic by now."

"Of course." He guided them through the door himself, holding it open so they could squeeze through with all their bags.

Her sister caught sight of a young woman walking past the store and called, "Victoria!" The woman stopped and they both began talking excitedly.

Trixie sighed, adjusting the bag on her shoulder. "Don't be long!"

He lingered at her side, unsure if he should leave her to it. But then he noticed she was eyeing him with a curious smile on her face. "You know, I've never seen you outside the office before. It's strange. You look less...intimidating."

He tried not to betray any emotion on his face. "I didn't know you found me intimidating."

She laughed, light and warm. "I don't."

"Glad to hear it."

"Really?"

He stopped walking, knowing they had reached their parting. "Someone has to tell me when I'm wrong."

She smiled. "That's not very often." He knew it was stupid to feel so pleased. "So why are you working on a Saturday, anyway?"

He considered lying; he could easily say that he had been called in for the incident. But as usual, there was something about Trixie Barnes that made him want to be honest with her.

"Nothing better to do."

Her face fell. "Really? You should find some hobbies, you know. Working all the time is real bad for you."

"Maybe I should get my brother to come to New York. We can go shopping and wind up stuck in an international incident."

She laughed again, loudly this time; there was pure joy in it. He felt a soaring sense of achievement. "Alright, good point." She looked concerned again. "Look after yourself, won't you? Or I'll have to bake you another pie."

He just about hid a smile. "You need to work on your threats, Miss Barnes. You'd be abysmal at interrogation."

She gave a mock sigh of disappointment. "Then I'll have to leave it to my more _intimidating_ colleagues."

He let out a snort, partly relieved that her sister had rejoined them because he had run out of witty responses and he was dangerously close to making a fool of himself. He tucked his hands in his pockets as her sister eyed him suspiciously again. Perhaps she saw straight through his professional facade and found the true lonely affection beneath. Perhaps she was acting defensively on behalf of her sister and the man she was already attached to.

Or perhaps she just didn't like new people. He could understand that.

"We should be going." She touched his arm briefly. "Thank you for looking after us. I'll see you Monday."

He watched her go for longer than he should have. Only when they had turned the corner and were out of sight did he return to the store to oversee the clean up. He forced himself to think about work, something that was usually easy.

 _You're a fool,_ he thought as he paced around the Obliviators. _She's happy with that man of hers._

He watched as an elderly couple tottered out of the store together.

 _But what about that newspaper? There was no need for her to still have it. No need for her to keep that note at all._

Despite his head telling him it was fruitless, a flower of hope bloomed in his chest all the same.


End file.
